Taliban Announces Three-Day Truce in Afghanistan for Eid Holiday

(Bloomberg) -- The Taliban will observe a three-day nationwide truce in Afghanistan starting Sunday for the Eid religious holidays, according to spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed.

“To ensure the safety of our countrymen, all Mujahedeen fighters have been instructed to avoid carrying out any offensive operations,” Mujahed said in an e-mailed statement, adding that they will only target enemies if attacked, he said.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani welcomed the announcement, tweeting that he had also instructed military forces to “comply with the three-day truce and to defend only if attacked.”

The cease-fire comes almost three months after the U.S. engineered a peace deal with the group where it would start withdrawing some of the 13,000 American troops in Afghanistan in exchange for a Taliban pledge to cut ties with all terrorists and prevent Afghan territories from becoming militant havens.

The group had also held a three-day cease-fire in 2018 during the same Eid al-Fitr holiday.

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